Above
by Ben Alexander
Summary: From the time she first saw him when she was seven years old, Pearl could not get him out of her mind... but such a love was forbidden, and impossible... right...? Would the Sea Witch hold the key to the mortal world? Would Pearl win Erik's heart?
1. Prologue: The Boy

Prologue: The Boy

She watched him from just above the waves; her pale face barely visible just above the white froth… A pretty face with sparkling green eyes, and a wide smile whenever she caught sight of him. She watched him, and all the while, she loved him… Secretly… secretly… She watched him grow from the tender age of eight into the age of manhood. And when she was not watching the boy, she was dreaming sweet dreams of him far beneath the waves within the palace of coral that she called home. He never saw her, for it simply was not permitted in the world in which she lived. The immortal mer-people were simply forbidden to love or even come into close contact with what they grudgingly called man, and they had their reasons to be fearful. This had been so from the time that the waves first washed ashore onto the beaches where man constantly played, and called their hunting ground. Man could hurt them. It was as simple as that.

She wished that it would all change, and that she could be with him forever. She despised the world in which she lived, although she never made these feelings vocal. It was cold and dreary there, for she lived at the very bottom of the sea, where no ray of the sun could be found in a lifetime. Here, it was dark, and sometimes it became quite difficult for her to see. How she longed for the gentle warmth of the sun… How she longed for him.

But it simply was not meant to be, and she knew this deep down in her heart, and this notion haunted her, for how she longed to play on the beach with him, and feel the warmth of the sun upon her warm face indefinitely; to never be forced to see the bitter sea waters that tortured her again. But how could she make this so? She, like all of the other fish in the sea simply could not live for more than a few minutes without being submerged in the water. It kept them alive and thriving; without it, her skin would dry, and she would most likely perish if she attempted to be on the surface with him forever.

She soon became a woman as the years went by, and each and every day, she cried for him. The boy she loved. The boy who could never love here. She hated her tail most of all, and wished sometimes that if she were brave enough to take a chance, and swim up to the surface, and stay for a lifetime with him; loving him, and being loved in return. How she longed for his love… How she longed to even spend a second with him acknowledging the fact that she was alive; that she had needs-- a soul-- a heart…

Each day, she yearned for him a little bit more, and each day, as I watched her from my crystal ball, I shed a tear, and wished that I had the power within me to reach out and help her. But how could I? For a bird may love a fish, but how could they live? Eventually, she would come to _me _for help, and I would give it to her… How foolish my daughter was.


	2. Seventh Birthday

_Chapter 1: Seventh Birthday (Pearl POV)_

Where I come from, the seventh year is a great year of many joys and celebrations. It is the year when we are first allowed to swim up to the surface, and finally get a glimpse of the forbidden land up above. It is indeed a blessed occasion for all-- one that I had been anticipating from the time that my sister, Ariel (three years my elder) had a chance to swim up upon her seventh year. She had been bragging ever since then, and now I would be able to brag to Jade (one year younger than I), for a while as well. It was a tradition-- it was a journey-- it was _dangerous.  
_

But that warning did not bother me in the least. I was unafraid of what lay in store for me; the evening before, I simply was unable to sleep. I had always dreamt of the big ball of fire which rested in the blue skies that Ariel had spoke of. I always had wondered about the world of above. It was strange though… I was the only mermaid alive in the whole of the ocean who had longed for such foolish things, and that's probably why everyone in the land referred to me as the "Unpractical Princess Pearl" behind my back-- even my own blood sisters.

My father is King Triton of the sea-- and that makes me a princess. I have never known my mother-- or who she was, for that matter, but I have been told by all that knew her that she was a wonderful and wise Queen who ruled the Kingdom alongside my father with a gentle hand… I do not even know her name, and as far as I know, my father has never mentioned her… I do not bother to ask, however; I know that it will only bring him grief.

All of my life, I have lived in the coral palace at the edge of the city, and have wondered bitterly, _What if? _All I ever longed for was freedom; something that extended far past the golden gates of the palace, and tomorrow, I would get my chance to see what lay in the world the mortals call home; I would be unescorted, and nobody would be able to tell me what I could and could not do-- for once; all of my life I have been overprotected, because of my status, and what can I say…? I despise it.

My sister, Ariel had never actually _seen _a man, but she had heard them. She had said that their voices were much more deep and cold than ours… I hoped that when I got up the next morning, and swam up to the surface, I would at least be able to catch a glimpse of at least one before sundown-- for that's when I was due home. The "world of above" as it was so aptly named was shrouded in much mystery to me. Not even my father knew much about it-- or maybe he chose not to tell me of all the wondrous things I would be able to soon discover.

At long last, one of our palace maids hurried into my room to awaken me; one of my dearest friends, Cordelia, was her only daughter. She told me to put on my best coral necklace, and wash. As soon as this was complete; I hurried out of the palace in search of my father and sisters who would be waiting for me just at the palace gates.  
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"Be _extremely _careful on your journey up to the surface," my father warned; pale, blue tears in his eyes, as he handed me a knife in case I found use of it up there.

Everyone was acting emotional; my father who had _never _cried before today was weeping as if I were being sent off to an almost sure doom.

"Do not cry, my father," I whispered, gently, wiping the tears from his twinkling blue eyes, "I shall not be hurt. I promise."

"Have a good time, Pearl," Ariel and Jade whispered in unison, as I looked up towards the surface; this was it… the day I had been waiting for nearly all my life…

"I will," I whispered; confident of it, and with a single flip of my green tail, I had begun the swim up to what lay above me.


	3. Watching from Afar

_Chapter 2: Watching from Afar (Sea Witch POV)_

She's eager to see it, I thought to myself, gazing deeper into my crystal ball, and watching the girl quickly swim out of the palace gates… _She's so eager to see it, _I thought to myself, gazing deeper still into my crystal ball, and watching the small girl swim away from her Kingdom, _She looks just like her father… she has my hair. _Ever since I had left the palace and my husband nearly a decade before, I had been forced to watch my three daughters grow up from afar; watching the great landmarks in their young lives from afar… Sometimes, I would lay awake at night when the ocean was dark and cold, all the while crying over them. How I longed to be with them; to be the mother that I had always been in secret… But, it was not to be, and try as I might to ignore the deep longing I felt, it was however, persistent, and remained deep within my heart.

I watched her; fondly remembering my own journey to the forbidden Land of Man. It was so long since my youth, for now, I was a lonely woman trying to keep to herself deep under the ocean in a black cave where no one dare enter… But it had not always been like this…

People who know the truth about why I left Triton refer to me as "the sea witch;" a name that has caused bitterness to grow in my heart; whenever the tides grow, or the water steadily drops in temperature, the people of our world automatically blame me. But I am not a bad person. I never was. It _is _true that I have practiced magic in secret for nearly all of my life, but that does not make me an evil, scheming siren determined to dig her claws into the Royal Family. I am just a woman filled with deep pain and sadness. That's probably why I decided to leave him… Because he no longer loved me, and I wanted a better life for me and my children-- although he made sure that I could never see my children face to face again…

As I watched Pearl's head break free from the binds of the sea, I felt a stabbing pain in my heart… She would never be able to tell _me-- _her own mother about all of her adventures, but, this was the only way to see her. I had watched her and her sisters for the past five years. I smiled to myself as I realized how beautiful she was now becoming. I watched her as she played with the waves, and felt the heat of the sun upon her pale face for the first time in her young life.

And then, I watched her with baited breath as she swam towards the sandy beach, all the while attempting to spot a mortal man. I chuckled a bit to myself when she caught sight of a little boy digging in the sand, before retreating back into the sea with a smile upon her face… Little did I know that this chance sighting would eventually lead to her untimely death…


	4. Ten Long Years

_Chapter 3: Ten Long Years (Pearl POV)_

Although it didn't seem that way, time flew by, and before I knew it, I was no longer a child. I had reached womanhood, and Father was now trying to find me a suitable husband, and although I was not very keen on the idea to say the least, I knew it would be my duty as a Princess. Ariel had already been married to a merman named Peter-- one of the first suitors that had attempted to woo her; but, I, unlike my somewhat scatterbrained sister simply refused all the princes Father brought to the palace-- no matter what their status or station in society. After all, I was already in love with the boy named Erik, and I would do anything-- _anything _to receive his affection in return.

For ten long years, I had watched my secret love from afar; from a distance where I could see, but not _be _seen. I visited the surface at least three times a week just to catch a glimpse of him, for he always seemed to be out at the same time, walking with a large furry animal, or some of his companions. Whilst I was out doing the forbidden, my father, sisters, and citizens of our Kingdom thought that I was simply wandering through the sea, seeking refuge in abandoned ships or small underwater caves. No one had yet caught on that I had been imagining myself in Erik's arms; feeling his warm bare chest against me, and if anyone _did _find out, all hell would break loose, and to cover up the utter scandal, I would be forced into a marriage with someone that I did not love in a hurry.

And those ten long years had somehow gone by in a flash, and sometimes, I found it difficult to get from day to day; knowing that my Erik and I could not live and love together. Sometimes, I felt like lashing out, and simply killing myself in order to escape the intense feelings I felt whenever I saw him. After all, what was the point in living without love? _Was _there a life to live?

I stared at the mirror in front of me, and immediately frowned at the sight of my sad reflection. No one knew of my hidden pain, and no one knew that I was pining for something that simply could never be mine. No one knew that I had cried over him, as I watched him wander the beach with the girl I believed to be his sister. No one knew. No one knew, and no one could _ever _know these deep dark secrets of mine. No one could know that at this very moment, I had begun to seek help from all the magic-makers of the sea. No one knew that I sought a pair of legs and the ability to live without water protecting me at all times. No one knew that everyone I had asked had refused to help me, and had labeled me as mad-- no matter how much gold I offered them. I was crazy with longing. It was unhealthy, and yet it continued…

Dawn was steadily approaching, and this was the time when Erik usually ventured out to begin his long walks… I swam out of my bedroom, and after I had made completely sure that no one else was awake in the palace, stole out of the castle, and began swimming up towards the surface.  
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My head broke free of the water, and I glanced around me; Erik was just coming out of his house with his sister. I smiled; I had arrived just in time. The water was choppy today, so he did not come as near to the water as he usually did, but watching him was just as thrilling and wonderful as it always was.

I stared at Erik, and sighed mournfully. Loving him was the most painful thing a creature could ever had experienced… He was growing handsomer and handsomer each time I saw him. Today he wore no shirt, and his tanned chest was exposed. I smiled at the sight of him… Each day I saw him, my heart was broken again. It was not meant to be, and it was unnatural to yearn for such a love to bloom.

I wanted him more than anything in the world. How could life be so utterly cruel? How could life have denied me the _only _thing I had _ever _wanted? What was the barrier between us, really? Could it not be crossed? Wasn't there a way…?I suddenly thought to myself, watching Erik and his sister walking. _Morgana… _I had heard the name whispered in secret many a time before, as had everyone else in the Kingdom. Supposedly, she was the most powerful witch in the entire ocean. If _she _could not perform the magic to help me, then no one could. I stole one final glance at Erik, and then dove back into the sea, determined to receive my wish.


	5. A Vision of Beauty

_Chapter 4: A Vision of Beauty (Erik POV)_

I rolled over in bed, and sighed angrily. I simply could not sleep in this weather; it had been this way since I had been a child. I stared at the moon framed in the window, and frowned; a full moon during a hot night meant that something bad was beginning to happen. _Nonsense, _a voice whispered in the back of my head, and at long last, I yawned, rolled over onto my side, and fell asleep.  
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We walk all alone upon the beach… Her kind face is smiling at me, while her lips are tempting me to greet them with a kiss…  
_

_I stare at her face, framed in the golden sunlight… She _is _beautiful; too beautiful to be real. Her face is utter perfection; the long dark hair, the deep-blue eyes, and the rosy cheeks. I want her more than anything in the entire world, and I do not know a thing about her… I do not even know her name. It is a mystery that eludes me; causing me distress. I want to ask, but I don't want to. Our love is taboo.  
_

_And then, as if she can read my confused thoughts, she is running away from me, and towards the sea, and try as I might, I am simply unable to catch up to her. She is so quick, and yet maintains that simple elegant flow in her movements.  
_

_And I scream in despair and horror as she disappears in a cloud of pure-white sea foam.  
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_I wake up, sad that the dream is over, and stare at the now waning moon. _She was beautiful, _I think to myself, yawning once again, and realizing that the room is now colder than ever. I tug the sheets up to my chin thinking, _Pity it was only a dream, _and I look over at my fiancé, and smile at her beauty, before falling asleep once again.__


	6. A Sacrifice

_Chapter 5: A Sacrifice (Sea Witch POV)_

I knew she was coming before that day… I had known it for ten years, but why had the day come so soon? I stared towards the dark cave-entrance, and closed my eyes in order to keep the warm tears at bay. I could not lose my daughter. I could not allow her to do this, and yet, I knew I simply had to, for I loved her, and all I wanted to do was have the ability to make her happy-- or at least give her a chance to pursue it. And suddenly, I heard her voice, as she boldly entered the cave-- a feat not usually successfully done by others. "Morgana?" she called.

I inhaled a deep breath, preparing myself, and answered, "I was expecting you, my child… Come into the light so that I may look upon your face a bit more clearly," I tried to sound casual. I tried my best to sound unnerved by her appearance-- business as usual, the tone of my voice proclaimed, but it was not so.

She swam deeper into the cave upon my request, and despite my better judgment, I allowed my lips to form a smile at the sight of her, "Can you help me?" she asked, and with one final hesitant thought, I nodded. She was so beautiful… She looked even more beautiful in person than from a distance, "It's very cold in here," she whispered, shivering; obviously trying to lighten the atmosphere before making her forbidden request.

"I know what it is that you wish," I whispered, trying to sound misty and strange to her, "but please think about what you are doing, my child. Think of what you must give up. Please forget about him-- a girl like you will find love under the sea, I assure you, and he will cause you great pain if you venture to the surface in search of his love."

Pearl stared at me, and contemplated my words for a moment before answering, "You must understand, Morgana. I do not care about the dangers I might encounter along the way… I must go to him, don't you understand that? I must be able to have that chance to--"

I smiled bitterly in response, "I know how you feel, pearl. I understand what you're going through, but you _must _reconsider. You must think about everything that will be lost to you once you leave your home, and your previous life. You--"

"I'm not frightened if that's what you mean!" she shouted, whipping her black hair around, and turning her back to me.

"I'm not saying that. It's just-- think of your father, and your sisters. They love you, and they need you. You must realize that losing you to the world of above would bring them a great sadness. They would be lost without you, my child."

She turned to face me once again, and fell silent for a long while, as I continued my warning, "Would you truly give up everything you know and love just for a man who does not even know that you exist?"

She bowed her head, and there was no sound for nearly five minutes as she processed all of the information I had just given her, "I am willing to make this sacrifice-- for him…" she drifted off, looking towards the sun whose reflection lay at the very top of the water; a small pinpoint of light as it was so very far away from us.

I stared at her, and she began speaking once again: "You are my final hope, Morgana. Please help me. I know that you are the most powerful sorceress in all the land and I also know that while you are feared, you are loved by those whose lives you have touched. All I want is the ability to love him-- is that too much to ask?"

"You are sure of this then?" I whispered.

She nodded, and I began brewing the potion that would perform her, now knowing that it was useless to attempt to argue with her, and convince her not to go through with it.

With each ingredient I heaved into the cauldron, another part of me swiftly died. With each bubble that floated up from the boiling depths of the silver liquid, I was able to accept more and more the notion that my daughter would be lost to our world within a matter of time.

When the potion was at last finished, and the hour of the cooling process was complete, I carefully poured the silver liquid into a small narrow vial, and made to hand it to my daughter, before keeping it out of her reach to finish what needed to be said, "I must tell you this before you leave me forever," I whispered, after having put a stopper into the vial to prevent the liquid from leaking, "You must drink this before the sun rises tomorrow, and then must swim to shore-- you must be above the water at all costs, or you will drown. When your tail has become a pair of legs, you must swim to the shore, and find the boy that you seek," I handed it to her. "One more warning," I added, as she slid the vial into her pouch, "If you are unable to win this man's heart and his love, and he is to fall in love with and marry another, and they conceive… the day after the baby is born, oxygen will become poisonous to you, and you will cease to live. Your legs will become a tail once again, and your heart will cease its beating, and you will become nothing but a small wisp of air. You will not leave behind a legacy for no one-- mortal or otherwise will have the ability to mourn over your earthly being."

She shrugged her shoulders, as if I had merely informed her that water would be less bountiful above-- as if I had stated nonsense, "Pearl, please listen to me!" I was frightened now-- she was actually going through with it-- _I _was actually going through with it.

"How do you know my name?" she suddenly asked me, now showing her inner fright towards me.

"That does not matter," I whispered, having forgotten to refrain from using her name, "Pearl, once you have transformed, you may never come back to the sea. It is simply impossible, and that is but one of the reasons why you must reconsider and realize the consequences of your actions once you go up there."

She smiled a bitter smile, "I hate the sea. Don't you understand that? I don't feel at home here. I never have. Nobody understands me-- not even my own sisters and father, so please don't act as if you're my mother," these words stung my heart, for she did not yet know the truth of who I was, "How may I pay you?" she added as an afterthought, rummaging through her pouch.

"I'll take no money," I replied, "just try to be safe," and she swam up to me, and kissed me upon the cheek, before swimming away once again, accidentally dropping an expensive ivory comb on the way out, "Pearl!" I called out, picking up the thing, and wondering if she had meant to drop it for me to keep-- I held it close, waiting for her return to reclaim the item but she never did… Now, years later, I wish I could have somehow stopped her from going.


	7. Transformation

_Chapter 6: Transformation (Pearl POV) _

I stared at the bottle clutched in my trembling hands, and began to wonder… I began to wonder about all of the amazing things that would be taking place very shortly-- that is, _if _I chose to drain its contents, and sacrifice my old life forever. Staring into its contents, I felt uneasy-- after all, Morgana _had _been right. The magic was irreversible, and if-- heaven forbid, anything happen to prevent me from winning Erik's love, I would no doubt perish. And all the same, the slight possibility that my dreams _could _become reality was more than enough to keep me keen on the idea of the risks involved.

It was nearing evening, and I was getting ready to leave for good. I had decided to leave just before sunrise; it was easier that way, and the risks of being caught on my way out of the city limits were much more limited that way, and I would not have to say goodbye to all the people I loved here, and would almost regret leaving behind. After all, how could I possibly explain to them that conflict of emotions I was feeling constantly now? I would be scorned-- ridiculed-- mocked. I would be made an outcast, just like the sea witch whose cave I had entered not even six hours before, and above all, I did _not _want for something like that to befall me. All I wanted was the chance to be with Erik, and to love him freely, and be loved as well.

I felt a deep sigh escape from me, as I looked around my bedroom; I would never see it again. Nor would I see my father or my sisters. But, it didn't matter anymore… I was leaving, and _nothing _could stop me now. I had decided to travel light; I would leave all of my treasures behind-- all of my worldly possessions except a locket my father had given me… Other than that, I didn't give a damn about anything else here. It would be sad to be without the things that had made me a princess, and had proclaimed my status, but where I was headed, my status would no longer exist, and I wouldn't be treated as such. I looked into the mirror that hung above my bureau one final time before leaving, and then began the long journey towards the surface, made even longer this time by the extra load of the heavy bottle I held in my hand-- it seemed to grow heavier and heavier as I neared the surface; almost as if threatening to drag me back into the depths of the cold ocean… but I would not relent to an inanimate object.

Soon, my head had broken free of the blue waters, and I looked up towards the sky, and the rapidly rising sun. I had made it on time; I could tell for the horizon was thinning already, and I could just make out the small outline of the stretch of land where Erik lived. _This is it, _I realized, staring wildly around me as if worried that someone had been alerted to my escape, and would try their best to take me back to the bottom of the ocean, _One life ends for another to begin, _I realized, and instantly raised the bottle high above me, questioning everything about my rash decisions… But then, having made up my mind, I quickly uncorked the bottle, raised it to my lips, and allowed the freezing cold magic substance into my mouth; I drained it all in a single gulp, and nearly vomited from the intense flavor. I shuddered instead; it tasted awful-- like blood mingled with shells and salt.

To my surprise, I felt the change almost instantly, and screamed out in pain. It felt as if my entire body was being ripped in half; my silver tail became a pair of webbed feet, and then split down the middle to form a pair of legs. The webbed toes became normal human toes, and the pain began to disappear, although my head was pounding from the rapid transformation. I took in a gulp of air-- my first breath of mortal air, I realized, smiling despite the strange experience that had just taken place, and then I began swimming towards the beach; it was extremely hard work for me as I was not yet used to my 'land-legs.' I instantly began to panic when I realized how very far away I was from the shoreline; I couldn't even see Erik's home. Swimming became more and more difficult, as the tide began to rise rapidly around me; almost as if doing so just to make my job even harder. I did not know what to do; I had never been out of the ocean after the tide had become so fierce.

I felt my legs becoming weaker and weaker from the strain of swimming, but I refused to give up. After all, I had not come this far only to perish among the waves. I had not traded everything I had ever held dear just for a pair of human legs only to die before I could even get any real use out of them. I continued to scream for help, feeling more isolated and alone than I ever had before back home, but no one could hear me. _I was so very foolish to have done this, _I thought, panicked, _I should have been closer to the shore before drinking the potion… Now, no one can save me. Why didn't I heed the advice of the Sea Witch? _A new voice answered: _Because you are in love.  
_

_LOVE-- _it all came back to this so easily. I had risked everything, only to die for love! The tide became steadily worse, and I felt myself being thrown hither and thither just like a rag-doll I had once seen a human girl lose in the waves. I felt my head being plunged back under, and I instantly swallowed sea-water. It no longer tasted delicious and refreshing now that I was a mortal with weak mortal lungs…_  
_


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